FAQ

In most cases, I am not able to give a useful time frame. I don't make soap on a set schedule; I simply make what I can when I can. I post all stock updates on my Twitter and Facebook pages.

Why is international shipping so expensive?

Because international shipping rates are high and I am not able to subsidize the cost.

I paid for expedited shipping; why hasn't my order shipped yet?

The descriptor 'expedited' refers to the transit time of the shipment once it has been shipped, not to the amount of time the order will take to process. Please note that expedited shipping costs only a small amount more than standard. A "line skipping" option would have to cost considerably more money.

Why are so many items out of stock?

As a one-man operation, I am only able to make so much soap; I don't have any employees, my batches are small, and I make quite a few varieties. Maintaining constant stock of every product on the site would be a full-time job unto itself (that is, without having to pack and ship orders, answer emails, constantly clean, etc.). I do my best to make as much soap as I can, but it just isn't possible for me to keep every item in stock at all times. In addition, I am often limited by finances; raw materials are not cheap and, contrary to the apparent perception of many, I have not become wealthy by selling handmade soap on the internet.

I added an item to the cart, but when I tried to check out the system informed me that it is out of stock. Is this an error?

Maybe, but probably not. The Paypal checkout system is surprisingly buggy, so errors do occur, but in all likelihood, the item has sold out and I have not yet removed the 'add to cart' button from the site on my end.

I'd like to order the following varieties all together, many of which are currently out of stock. Could I place an order for all of the items and just wait until they are all ready? I'm very patient.

While this seems like a reasonable course of action, it's something that I prefer not to do. If I were to start taking such orders, things would get very messy very quickly. Furthermore, it can take a very long time for such orders to be ready to ship.

Can I add an item to my existing order?

Yes, just place a new order and email me telling me that you've done so. I'll combine the two orders and refund the appropriate amount for shipping.

I live near or in or will be visiting near or in Ann Arbor. Can I pick up my order or just stop by to check things out?

I work from my home and I am not at all set up for drop-ins or pick-ups. Sorry.

Do any shops in Ann Arbor carry your products?

No, not at the moment.

What are you in school for?

Nothing. While it is the case that I started Mike's Natural Soaps in 2011 while I was a graduate student in Classical Philology, I left my program in the summer of 2012 when it became clear that it was not possible to pursue both endeavors simultaneously.